The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters

Cover of unknown later US edition with Rocco illustration (same as first ed.)
Author Rick Riordan
Cover artist John Rocco (depicted)
Country United States
Series Percy Jackson & the Olympians (book 2)
Genre Fantasy, Greek mythology, young-adult novel
Published April 1, 2006
Publisher Miramax Books and Disney Hyperion[1]
Media type Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages 279 pp.[1]
ISBN 0-7868-5686-6
OCLC 64664383
LC Class MLCS 2006/45756 (P)[1]
Preceded by Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Followed by Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse

The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save the camp from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

The Sea of Monsters was released on April 1, 2006,[2] by Miramax Books, an imprint of Hyperion Books for Children[1][2] and thus Disney Publishing (succeeded by the Disney Hyperion imprint). It was generally well–received and was nominated for numerous awards, including the 2006 Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick[3] and the 2009 Mark Twain Award.[4] It sold over 100,000 copies in paperback[5] with over one million copies total[6] and was released in audiobook format on September 6, 2006. The Sea of Monsters is followed by The Titan's Curse, the third book of the five in the series.

A film adaptation of the book, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, was released on August 7, 2013.[7]

Plot

Percy Jackson has been having nightmares about Grover, the first involving him running from an unseen force and taking refuge in a wedding dress shop. At school, a group of Laestrygonians attack Percy and his classmates in a fiery game of dodge-ball, but he is saved by his half-brother Tyson (a young Cyclops). Annabeth takes Percy and Tyson to Camp Half-Blood by the taxi of the Gray Sisters, but they arrive to find the camp under attack by two bronze Colchis bulls which Tyson defeats. Thalia's tree has been poisoned, leaving the camp vulnerable to enemy attacks and Chiron is suspected of poisoning it (largely because of his family connection to the titan Kronos).

Percy tells Annabeth about his dreams, and she deduces that Grover has found the Golden Fleece, which can cure Thalia's poisoned tree. After the campers are attacked at a chariot race by Stymphalian birds, Tantalus (who was replacing Chiron as camp counsellor) sends Clarisse on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, as Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson run away from camp in order to try to find Grover. Hermes gives them gifts to help them on their quest and tells them to call on some Hippocampi, who carry them to a passing cruise ship, the Princess Andromeda. Once aboard, they discover that the ship appears to be deserted, but find fully stocked cabins to sleep in. In the morning, they wake to find the ship full of tourists, but also populated with monsters. They are captured by Luke Castellan, whom the ship belongs to, transporting an army of monsters. Luke sends them to be fed to a drakon in the hold, but they escape on a lifeboat and eventually find land, a marshy swamp area. They find one of many hideouts that Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth built. Percy and Annabeth talk about Luke briefly while Tyson looks for powdered doughnuts, but he soon returns, with an actual box of doughnuts. They find a doughnut shop (Monster Donut), but a hydra appears, having tracked them. After a brief fight, it is about to kill them, when they are saved by Clarisse, who is sailing on a confederate battleship called the CSS Birmingham.

En route to the Sea of Monsters, the CSS Birmingham is destroyed by the monster Charybdis and then attacked by Scylla. Presuming Tyson and Clarisse are dead, Percy and Annabeth escape to a nearby island, where they find "CC's Spa and Resort". CC has an assistant give Annabeth a tour of the resort, saying that Percy needs a full makeover. She shows Percy the best version of himself with magic, and gives him a magical drink. However, when he drinks it, he is turned into a guinea pig and CC puts him into a cage with six 'mean looking' others. When Annabeth returns, the spa resort's owner is revealed to be the sorceress Circe, who turns men into guinea pigs and put them in a cage. Annabeth asks for a moment alone with Percy, and then uses Hermes' anti-magic vitamins to protect herself from Circe's magic, and turn Percy and the others, who are revealed to be the crew of the notorious pirate Blackbeard (the demigod son of Ares), back to normal. Percy and Annabeth then manage to escape Circe's island by stealing Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Percy and Annabeth reach Polyphemus' island, where they are reunited with Tyson and Clarisse, who survived the shipwreck. They rescue Grover and find the Golden Fleece, and are returned to the mainland by Hippocampi. Clarisse returns to Camp Half-Blood with the Fleece by plane. Percy and company are captured by Luke and taken to the Princess Andromeda. Percy manages to contact Camp Half-Blood through an Iris Message and tricks Luke into admitting that he poisoned Thalia's tree, proving Chiron's innocence in front of the entire camp. Luke duels Percy, beats him, and is about to kill them, but before he does, Chiron and the Party Ponies, a large group of centaurs armed with modern weapons such as paint-ball guns appears, and rescues them.

Returning to the camp, Chiron is given his job back and the Golden Fleece heals Thalia's tree. However, the Golden Fleece revives Thalia Grace, who is pushed out of the tree.[8]

Major characters

Critical reception

The Sea of Monsters received generally positive reviews with reviewers praising the storyline, the themes and the author's style of writing.[9][10][11] "In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut," said a Publishers Weekly review.[12] School Library Journal singled out the novel's plot and main character, stating, "Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers."[10] Child magazine wrote, "Featuring the cliff-hangers and sassy attitude kids loved in The Lightning Thief – plus a surprising new family secret – this outstanding sequel should win over a fresh legion of fans."[13] Children's Literature called the writing extraordinary[13] and added, "This book, sequel to The Lightning Thief, is an amazing mixture of mythology and young adult fiction."[13] Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist."[11] Norah Piehl of Kidsreads.com lauded the style of the book, and noted similarities with its prequel.[9] It sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover by the time paperback copies were released in April 2007.[5]

However, Kirkus was critical of the book, writing, "it's doubtful Percy wouldn't guess Tyson's otherworldly connection immediately after the dodgeball game ... some of the humor will zip over the heads of the target audience" although they added, "Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do would keep the pages turning."[2]

Awards

Adaptations

Audiobook

On September 6, 2006, a seven-hour and 54 minute audiobook version of The Sea of Monsters, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, who also narrated The Lightning Thief's audiobook,[18] was published worldwide by Listening Library.[19][20]

AudioFile magazine praised the audio book, raving, "This action-packed book (second in a series) will delight fans of Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of Poseidon, as Percy once again battles mythical monsters in modern-day settings while on his mission to save the tree that guards Camp Half-Blood."[20] They praised Bernstein, saying "Narrator Jesse Berns helps listeners slip right into the oddly engaging world that Riordan creates, in which contemporary teen characters and those from classical mythology intermingle"[20] and that he could successfully portray teenagers, while keeping the pace fast allowing listeners time to revel in the book's humor. Auditions have already been cast for this yet to be blockbuster. There may still be a few spaces for extras, though.[20] The magazine Publishers Weekly raved about Bernstein's "snappy delivery and all the right funny touches" that made the "action-packed fantasy such fun."[18]

Film adaptation

Following the box office and DVD success of the movie, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, a film adaptation of The Sea of Monsters was first reported in early 2011.[21] In fall 2011, it was confirmed that 20th Century Fox would release the film on March 27, 2013.[22][23] Filming began in April 2012. In February 2012, Mary Birdsong, Missi Pyle and Yvette Nicole Brown were cast as the Gray Sisters.[24] In March 2012, Nathan Fillion joined the cast as Hermes and Anthony Head, replacing Pierce Brosnan, as Chiron.[25][26] In April 2012, Paloma Kwiatkowski was cast as Thalia and The Hunger Games star Leven Rambin has been cast as Clarisse La Rue.[27] It was announced on May 8, 2012 that the film had moved up to March 15, 2013. But later it was postponed for an August 16, 2013 release.[7] Fox decided on a final release date for August 7, 2013.[28] Logan Lerman returned as Percy Jackson in the movie. Jake Abel also returned to the role of Luke Castellan. On January 2012 The Secret Circle star Grey Damon was cast as Chris Rodriguez. According to Alexandra Daddario, the film would be more similar to the book than the first film.

Graphic novel

It has been published as a graphic novel.

Sequel

The novel was followed by The Titan's Curse, released on May 1, 2007. In The Titan's Curse, Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia go to a school to recruit two powerful demigods.[29] Like its predecessors, this book was well received and reviewers praised its humorous style and the plot of the story.[30][31]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The sea of monsters" (first edition). LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2015-11-05.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Sea of Monsters review". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Book awards: BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  4. 1 2 "Mark Twain Readers Award". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  5. 1 2 Nawotka, Edward. "Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  6. ↑ Sarah, Weinman. "Will 'Percy Jackson' Author Rick Riordan Ever Reach J.K. Rowling Territory?". DailyFinance. DailyFinance.
  7. 1 2 "'X-Men: First Class' & 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Sequels Set For Summer 2014; 'Independence Day 3D' Hits July 3, 2013". indiewire.com. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  8. ↑ Riordan, Rick (May 3, 2006). The Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Miramax Books. ISBN 0-7868-5686-6. OCLC 64664383.
  9. 1 2 Piehl, Norah. "Kidsreads.com – The Sea of Monsters". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  10. 1 2 "The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2". School Library Journal. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  11. 1 2 "The Sea of Monsters review". Matt Berman. Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  12. ↑ "The Sea of Monsters". Publishers Weekly. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  13. 1 2 3 "The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rick Riordan : Percy Jackson". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  15. ↑ "Barnes & Noble.com". Barnesandnoble.com. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2010-07-22.
  16. ↑ "Top Shelf Fiction Pick for Middle School Readers, 2006" (PDF). Voice of Youth Advocates. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
  17. ↑ "Mark Twain Award 2007–08 Winners". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  18. 1 2 "Sequels for summer". Publishers Weekly. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  19. ↑ Bernstein, Jesse. "Jesse Bernstein". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Bernstien, Jesse (2006). "The Sea of Monsters". AudioFile. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  21. ↑ 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Sequel Could Be Coming Soon?
  22. ↑ "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  23. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (12 October 2011). "Fox Moves Ahead With New 'Die Hard' and 'Percy Jackson' Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  24. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (February 29, 2012). "Missi Pyle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Mary Birdsong Join 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (March 15, 2012). "Nathan Fillion to Play Hermes in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  26. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (March 20, 2012). "Anthony Head to Play Chiron in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ↑ Fleming, Mike (April 3, 2012). "Vancouver High Schooler Gets Dream Role In 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". Deadline.com.
  28. ↑ "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Moved up to August 7". ComingSoon.net. April 6, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  29. ↑ Riordan, Rick (April 1, 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978-1-4231-0145-1. OCLC 76863948.
  30. ↑ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Kidsreads". Kidsreads.com.
  31. ↑ Ruth, Sheila. "The Titan's Curse: Wands and Worlds Book Review".

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